Dry material feeding machine



May 2 1933. E. w. BACHARACH 1,906,830

DRY MATERIAL FEEDING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR y 1933- E. w. BACHARACH 1,906,836

DRY MATERIAL FEEDING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1929 Z'Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY ?atented May 2, 1933 PATENT @FFEQE ERIC W. BACI-IAEACI-I, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI DRY MATEREAL FEEDING MACHINE Application filed April 29, 1929.

My invention relates to material feeding machines and more particularly to machines for feeding dry material, such as lime, soda, or alum in measured quantities to liquid containing tanks or receptacles.

The principal objects of the invention are to assure delivery of equal predetermined portions of material over a relatively long period at regular intervals, to provide a Wide range of adjustment for members controlling the amounts fed from a. machine of the char acter indicated, and particularly to assure accuracy in delivering extremely small measured quantities of material from the machme.

Further objects of my invention are to determine readily and accurately the amount of material fed from the machine in a predetermined length of time, and to vary the quantities being fed while the machine is in operation.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, 1 have provided improved details of a structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dry material feeding machine embodying my invention, the regulator being illustrated in position for delivery of a maximum feed stroke by the feeding machine.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the machine, the regulator being adjusted to Zero position in which the feeding member is unaffected by the movin mechanism of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2 showing the feed trough and plunger.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the hopper provided with a modified form of feed trough and plunger.

Referring in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a frame or support comprising corner legs or standards 2 and connecting cross members such as 3, f and 5 respectively at the top, adjacent the middle and adjacent the bottom of the standards.

A hopper 6 is mounted on the frame with its receiving end at the top thereof, and its lower or discharge end 7 projecting slightly 59 below the intermediate cross members 4, and

Serial No. 359,045.

comprising a preferably arcuate and concave bottom provided with an apical outlet opening 8 or mouth comprising a port through which material received and contained by the hopper may pass away therefrom, for 5 example by gravity.

A. trough 9 is formed and supported as presently described below the mouth of the hopper having suitable length and in suitably spaced relation With the mouth of the hopper to receive, support, and retain material passing downwardly from the hopper.

The mouth of the hopper further comprises arcuate downward projections or baffle-like lips 10 and 11 protruding diverg-ently from the port 8 into the trough, for limiting the movement of material on the trough and controlling the movement of material from the hopper. The lips 10 and 11 preferably comprise the opposite edges of an opening 12 in a partition or plate 13 engaging the discharge end of the hopper, and supported from the frame, preferably by vertical plates or wall portions 14 and 15 of a housing 16 dependingly supported by bolts 17 from angle irons 18 mounted on cross members 4:.

A solution-containing vessel or liquifying pot 19 is mounted on a platform 20 supported by the lower cross members 5 in receiving relation with the hopper end trough 9, and the lower edges of the housing 16 are preferably engaged in a seat 21 at the upper edge of the pot. /Vater under pressure is admitted to the pot through an inlet 22 at the bottom thereof to partly or wholly dissolve dry material and an outlet 23 preferably adjacent the midde of the vertical wall of the pot provides for discharge of material.

The trough 9 constitutes a restricted channel, and the upper edges of its parallel side walls or wings 9.4L engage the bottom of the plate 13 on each side of the hopper port. Flanges 25 extending laterally from the trough preferably in the plane of its floor or bottom are adapted to receive bolts 26 for securing the trough to the housing for support thereof.

The wings of the trough extend along the ends of the lips 10 and 11, and lip portions project downwardly between the wings, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

A horizontally reciprocable bar 27 having a squared portion 28 is slidable in respectively round and non-circular bearing openings 29 and 30 in the walls 14 and 15 but restrained against rotation, and extends through the trough preferably on the axis thereof.

A material-displacing block preferably of rectangular cross section comprising a plunger or piston 31 is i'med to the barwithin the trough to slidingly engage the floor and wings of the trough, and preferably in such a position that when the bar is at the outward limit of its movement as presently described the plunger will be located at one end of the hopper port but spaced slightly from the proj ecting edge of the adjacent lip.

The plunger substantially fills the trough, but preferably is of such height that it may pass under the lips.

Mounted on a shaft or pin 32 supported by a bracket 33 fixed to the frame, for example to one of the cross members 4, is a rocking arm 34 of a bell crank lever preferably automatically actuated as later describedhaving a laterally projecting pin 35 adapted to engage the plunger bar for conferring reciprocating motion thereon to move the plunger for displacing material on the trough. The pin 32 may be fixed and the arm 34 may rock thereon.

Fixed to the outer end of the bar is a yoke 36 comprising parallel spaced legs or branches 37 and 38 extending right angularly to the axis of the bar, and a connecting web or plate-like body 39 at the lower ends of the legs, the outer end of the bar being secured to the inner leg 37, and the outer leg 38 comprising a flange-like member engageable by the pin 35 of the rocking arm for moving the bar outwardly.

Freely rotatably mounted in the outer leg 38 of the yoke and restrained therein against longitudinal movement is an adjusting screw 40 having a threaded portion extending to and engaging the opposite leg 37. A sliding block 41 of rectangular cross-section is threadedly mounted on the screw and adapted to be moved longitudinally in the yoke upon rotation of the screw to selected positions for engagement by the end of the arm 34 whereby the bar may be moved inwardly by said arm.

The bottom of the block engages and slides on the body of the yoke, and is prevented thereby from rotating when the screw is turned.

The upper angularly extending arm 42 of the lever or rocking arm member 34 is pivoted to a connecting rod 43 eccentrically pivoted to a disk 44 on a shaft 45 rotatably mounted in opposite walls of a housing 46 carried by a bracket 47 extending laterally from the frame 1, and operably connected with a counter shaft 48 having a pulley 49 over which a belt 50 runs from a pulley 51 on a motor 52 supported on a shelf 53 above the housing, whereby the rocking arm is actuated by the mechanism which actuates the other elements of the apparatus, and operates in synchronism therewith.

The shaft 45 and shaft 48 are preferably connected through speed reduction mechanism represented by the housing 46 and a housing portion 54, whereby the speed of the shaft 45 and consequently the intervals between material-displacing movements of the reciprocating bar may be fixed to suit a particular installation or operating requirement.

Spaced revolving cutters comprising disks 55 mounted on a shaft 56 in the hopper and wires or straps 57 having ends attached preferably to the peripheries of the disks for connecting the same and adapted to pass close to the concave bottom, are operated through chain 58 running on a sprocket 59 fixed to the shaft 45 and a sprocket 60 on the shaft 56. The disks are provided with suitable openings for passage of dry material laterally therethrough. The straps are preferably fiat strips of metal having forward or cutting edges inclined outwardly from the circles of the disks, and theirangular position tends to enable them to engage and scrape and drag the material towards the outlet, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The screw means for adjusting the position of the arm-receiving sliding block provides for fine adjustments, whereby relatively small variations in the amounts of material moved by the plunger may be effected.

I provide means for indicating minute adjustments, comprising a pointer 61 having its lower end pivotally mounted on the body of the yoke, and provided with a longitudinal slot 62 to receive a pin 63 projecting laterally from the sliding block, whereby the block when moved longitudinally in the yoke will cause the pointer to move rotatively.

An arcuate scale arm 64 extending across the yoke between the branches thereof, is provided with a series of graduations 65, and the pointer is adapted to overlie the scale arm and move over the scale for indicating the position and changes of position of the sliding block.

The graduations are preferably installed on the horizontally extending upper face of the arm 64, and the pointer is in this case provided with an angularly projecting finger 66 adapted to move over the scale.

A relatively minute change in the position of the block will therefore cause a relatively extensive movement of the pointer finger over 1 the scale, and thus magnify the actual movement of the block.

In the modified form of feeding mechanism shown in Fig. 4, the outlet members for the hopper have no projecting narrow lips.

A plunger 67 in this instance comprises a relatively long piston which fits snugly but slidably in the trough, and engages the lower face of the plate 13, that forms the cover for the trough.

In this form, the apparatus is adapted to displace and deliver material from one end only of the trough, the left end in Flg. 4. The depth of the right end of the trough is reduced, preferably by thickening the portion 68 of the plate 13 at the retracted position of the piston, to form a downwardly projecting upper wall for the channel produced by the trough.

The piston in this instance is adapted to fill the channel portion that extends to the right from the hopper outlet, and to slidingly engage the bottom side and top Walls of said channel portion at all positions during its operation, so that no opportunity is afiorded for movement of material toward the right hand end of the trough in the figure.

The cross section of the trough or channel at its outlet end is therefore larger than the cross section of the piston, and the difierence is adjusted upon preparation of an installation to provide for handling particular types of material.

An opening 69 is provided in the housing 16 affording access to the apparatus for inspection, and for insertion of a pan adapted to receive material discharged from the trough for testing the rate at which material is being fed. Lugs 70 may be provided proj ecting from the inner surface of the housing to receive and support such a pan.

Use of the apparatus for handling and delivering measured quantities of any material tending to become compacted will be particularly described. In such use, a mass of material may cohere or be bound together by pressure of its weight in the hopper sufiiciently to prevent portions falling by gravity through the bottom outlet.

The rotating cutters separate portions of the compacted material from the overlying body, and the separated portion is thus set free and tends to drop through the outlet.

The rotating disks and revolving cutter blades or straps effect the breaking up and loosening of the cohering mass of material, the disks cutting vertical paths in the mass and the straps moving in circles transversely of the hopper and cutting cylindrical paths whereby the cutters divide the lower portion of the mass into relatively small cylinder-like chunks and free the same from the body of the material.

The freed portions may therefore move by gravity toward and into the outlet.

The angularly projecting advance edges of the straps extending angularly to tangents on the peripheries of the disks, moving anticlockwise in Fig. 2, cut into and divide material while passing in their circular paths,

and when moving downwardly adjacent the curved bottom of the hopper scrape the material from the bottom, the upwardly rearwardly inclined plane faces of the straps tending to drag the material toward the outlet.

The material thus moved into the outlet by the straps, tends to be discharged toward the right end of the trough, and is baffled first by the downwardly projecting edge portion of the plate 13, and then by the face of the plunger wnen the plunger is in a position to receive the downwardly moving material, for example, in fixed starting or rest position, when the'bar is at the outward limit of retraction.

Material contained by the trough is retained against lateral movement by the side walls thereof, and tends to flow towards the ends of the trough. The angles of repose of various materials may differ, and the projecting lips are adapted to check the movements of material and retain the upper portions of a quantity of material in the trough against flowing longitudinally toward the discharge ends thereof, so that the face of the mass formim with the bottom of the trough the angle or repose has its upper edge at the lower edge of a lip.

The lips further confer venturi-like character on the c iannel formed by the trough and plate 13 particularly to prevent compacting of material that passes behind the plunger and right hand lip or in front of the plunger and left hand lip.

When the modified form of trough is employed, the relatively large outlet end of the channel permits lumps to lie between the ad Vance edge of the plunger and the edge of the outlet, whereby the plunger may press the lumps against said edge and thus tend to crush and break up the lumps. Furthermore, the lumps may pass over and ride on the plunger as the latter moves in material-discharging relation. Damage to the apparatus is thus prevented, which would occur if the upper edge of the plunger face passed close to the left edge of the outlet in the figures, and a lump of relatively hard material were caught between the edges.

The proportionate feeding mechanism may be adjusted to a fine degree by turning the screw in the yoke to space the sliding block from the outer leg of the yoke and the spacing will be accurately measured by the magnifying effect of the pivotally mounted pointer.

When the block is set adjacent the opposite leg of the yoke the rocking arm will move over a relatively long path to engage the block and therefore will move the yoke and bar a relatively short distance and cause the plunger to displace a relatively small amount of material from the trough into the liquefying pot. When the block is positioned close- 1y adjacent the screw-supporting leg a relatively long stroke of the bar and plunger is provided for upon retractive movement.

The rocking arm will move the bar under the circumstances to the extreme limit of its travel, preferably to position the plunger at the outer edge of the hopper outlet.

The magnifying scale above described renders reading of the degree to which the extent of movement of theplunger is adjusted and likewise renders it easier to calibrate the machine and to read the scale. Experience having indicated the amount of material which will be displaced when the pointer indicates a particular graduation of the scale, the operator may by looking at the scale determine accurately the amount of material being displaced at each stroke of the bar and may alter the adjustment by turning the screw to provide for delivery of a smaller or larger amount of material upon each stroke.

\Vhen a short stroke of the bar and plunger is provided for by the adjustment, material will substantially all be delivered from one end of the trough since none has opportunity to pass rearwardly of the plunger.

he apparatus may be adjusted however, for example by providing for a long stroke t1 enable the plunger to admit material toward both ends of the trough and reciprocation of the bar will result in shifting of material towards both ends and displacement thereof from the opposite ends of the trough. The amount of material falling from the left end of the trough, Fig. 2, will always be greater than the amount falling from the right side of the trough except when the maximum travel of the plunger is provided for.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. In apparatus of the character described including a hopper, a trough having a bottom and side walls for confining material delivered from the hopper, a constantly rotating shaft, a horizontally reciprocable bar adapted to move material from the trough, means including a rocking arm connected with said shaft for reciprocating the bar, and means including horizontally spaced members on the bar for enabling the arm to engage the bar to reciprocate the same.

2. In apparatus of the character described including a hopper, a trough for receiving material from the hopper, a constantly rotating member, and a horizontally reciprocable bar adapted to move material from the trough, means including a rocking arm con nected with said shaft for reciprocating the bar, means including horizontally spaced members on the bar for enabling the arm to engage the bar to reciprocate the same, one of said members being adjustable for varying the extent of movement of the bar to vary the amount of material displaced thereby,

and means for indicating the extent of movement of the bar.

3. In apparatus of the character described including material delivering means including a reciprocating bar, and actuating means including a rocking arm, means enabling the arm to engage the bar comprising a flange on said bar engageable by the arm for moving the bar in one direction, an adjustable block supported by the bar and engageable by the arm for moving the bar in the other direction, and means including a pointer having pivotal connection with the flange and slid ing connection with the block for indicating adjustments of the block.

4. In apparatus of the character described, including a support, a material-moving member and an arm pivoted to the support for moving said member, a flange on said member engageable by the arm for moving the member in one direction, a screw rotatable in said flange, and a block threaded on said screw for adjustment thereby longitudinally of the member for engagement by said arm for moving the member in the other direction.

5. In apparatus of the character described including a material supporting member, a material moving element including a reciprocating bar, and actuating mechanism, adjustable means enabling the actuating mechanism to engage the bar to reciprocate the same including a yoke on the bar having a branch engageable by said mechanism, a screw rotatably supported by the yoke, and a block threaded on the screw and adapted for movement along the yoke to selected posi tions for engagement by said mechanism.

6. In apparatus of the character described including a support, and a material-receiving trough, a hopper having a mouth including a lip extending outwardly of the hopper into the trough, and a plunger movable in the trough across said mouth to displace material.

7. In apparatus of the character described including a support, and a material-receiving trough, a hopper having a mouth comprising opposite lips extending outwardly of the hopper into the trough, and a plunger adapted to be positioned adjacent one of said lips and movable over the trough across said mouth to displace material.

8. In a dry material feeding machine includin a hopper having a bottom outlet, a trough positioned to receive material from the hopper, a cover for the trough comprising an apertured plate including a portion extending downwardly into the trough at one end of the hopper opening, and a piston in said trough slidably engaging the trough and extended plate portion.

9. In combination with a material-sup port-ing member, a reciprocable bar adapted to displace material from said member,

means for moving the bar, and means for adjusting the extent of movement of the bar, means including a scale and a pivoted pointer engaged with said bar for magnifying the extent of adjustment of said adjusting means.

10. In apparatus of the character described including a rocking arm, a material support, and means including a reciprocating bar for moving material on the support, a yoke on said bar having a branch engageable by said .arm for moving the bar in one direction, a block adjustably supported by the yoke and engageable by said arm for moving the bar in the other direction, and means on said yoke including a scale and a pointer for magnifying the extent of adjustment of the block.

11. In apparatus of the character described including a rocking arm, a material support, and means including a reciprocating bar for moving material on the support, a yoke on said bar having a branch engageable by said arm for moving the bar in one direction, a block adjustably supported by the yoke and engageable by said arm for moving the bar in the other direction, said block being movable to adjusted position for varying the extent of movement of the bar, and an indicator including a scale on the yoke, a pointer pivoted to the yoke and having a slot, and a pin fixed to said block and slidably retained in said slot for moving the pointer over the scale when the block is moved to magnify the extent of movement of the bar.

12. In apparatus of the character described including a hopper, a trough comprising bottom and side walls for supporting material passing from the hopper, a bar having a portion slidably engaging said trough walls for moving material from the trough, and means including a rocking arm and spaced stops on said bar alternately engageable by said arm for moving the bar.

18. In apparatus of the character described, a trough having a cover provided with an inlet opening, said trough increasing in cross sectional area from said opening toward the discharge end of said trough to form a restricted trough portion adjacent said opening, and a plunger movable in the trough.

14. In apparatus of the character described, a trough provided with an inlet opening and including a wall having a portion closely adjacent said opening spaced from the opposite wall or" the trough to a less extent than portions of said wall extending outwardly from the opening toward the discharge mouth of the trough to form a limited constriction in the trough, and means for moving material received by the trough toward said wall portion of the trough.

15. In apparatus of the character described including a support, a. reciprocating bar movable over the support to displace material thereon, and means including an adjustable block and an arm engageable with the block and with the bar for reciprocating the bar, a scale on said bar and a pointer pivoted to the bar and engaged with said block cooperating with said scale for indicating extent of adjustment of said block.

16. In a. dry material feeding machine including a hopper having a substantially semi-cylindrical bottom provided with an elongated outlet, a material receiving member located below said outlet, a shaft rotatably mounted in the axis of said bottom, circular disks on the shaft and movable in their own displaced path through material contained in the hopper, a flat blade member fined to the outer edge portions of said disks in parallel relation with said shaft andmovable across said outlet to move the material through said outlet onto said receiving member, a similarly arranged blade member fixed to the diametrically opposite edge portions of the disks for loosening the material in the hopper directly above the first named blade while the first named blade is moving the loosened material through said outlet, and means operable in the receiving member to displace the material therefrom.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

ERIC W. BAGHARACH. 

